August Trades: Could the Mets Make a Move Before September?

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesBay who was part of an unsuccessful trade, could be dealt this month.

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Finally, after a long and harrowing July, the Mets come into August with a fresh mindset and a chance to leave the past behind them.

The month started on a positive note when the Mets took three out of four in San Francisco. In the final game of the series, they enjoyed a 9-1 offensive barrage led by unlikely hero Ronny Cedeno.

But that's only one game, and with many more to go in order to establish whether or not the Mets are still in it, should the Mets take advantage of the August waiver trades?

It's worked for them before. Back in 2006, the Mets sent a low-level prospect to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Shawn Green.

What happened as a result was two good months of service followed by one of the best postseason plays in team history: a deep throw from right field which catcher Paul Lo Duca caught and proceeded to tag out first one, then two runners in Game 1 of the NLDS, which was witnessed in person by yours truly.

Moving on, an August deal, which is different from a non-waiver deal, means that a player must clear waivers before he is traded. So far, two noteworthy players have already been placed on waivers: Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee, both of whom signed lucrative mega-deals last season.

I'm not suggesting the Mets get Crawford or Lee per se, whom they could grab off waivers without making a deal, but what I am suggesting is that they try and make a move to get rid of some dead weight.

John Grieshop/Getty Images

Buck and Bell, the guys who could have been traded for Bay.

It came to the fans' attention that Sandy Alderson tried to make a deal that would have sent the disappointing Jason Bay to Miami for former Mets reliever Heath Bell and catcher John Buck.

The deal never went through, but knowing that Alderson tried to dispose of Bay, who has been nothing short of awful in his three seasons as a Met, gives fans some closure.

That's not to say that it couldn't be done now. Even though Bell hasn't been pitching like he did in San Diego, and Buck isn't exactly Mike Piazza, having those two instead of Bay would have been an improvement and addressed both of the Mets' weaknesses.

Bell has thrived in pitchers' parks, as evidenced by San Diego's Petco Park, which is one of the best pitchers' parks in the league, but has been average to downright awful in neutral and hitters' parks, like Shea Stadium and Marlins Park. Citi Field, though reconfigured to benefit hitters, still has the pitchers' park feel.

Whatever the case, the Mets and Marlins should revisit this deal. Getting rid of Bay, even for a career .231 hitter and a pitcher who has been awful this year, is definitely better than sticking with him and releasing him possibly in the offseason. Whatever the case, Alderson should make this move, or something similar if he still feels that the Mets have a chance.